Police evacuate pro-Wilson supporters in Ferguson
A pair of protesters supporting Officer Darren Wilson joined the throng of protesters supporting Michael Brown, the 18-year-old he killed, Wednesday night in Ferguson, turning the mood of some in the crowd ugly.
Two people showed up at the protests shortly after 8 p.m. carrying signs of support for Wilson. Many in the crowd shouted at them but took no other action. The mood of the crowd turned ugly, and the rain started falling about 8:30 p.m. – just as tensions peaked. Many protesters took shelter under store awnings.
One of the pro-Michael Brown protesters said of the pair: “They’re trying to incite a riot.”
Police evacuated the pro-Wilson demonstrators from the scene for their own safety.
As the rain eased after several minutes, protesters returned to West Florissant and chanted, “We’re young, we’re strong, we’re marching all night long.”
Shortly before 9 p.m, about 125 protesters were gathered – a number that in the past has grown as the hour gets later.
A fundraising website created to support Officer Darren Wilson had raised more than $97,000 as of 9 p.m Wednesday. It has a goal of $100,000.
The site says, “We stand behind Officer Darren Wilson and his family during this trying time in their lives. All proceeds will be sent directly to Darren Wilson and his family for any financial needs they may have including legal fees.
“Thank you to everyone who continually reaches out to us to offer words of encouragement and prayers.”
Incident report released
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch received a copy of the St. Louis County Police incident report of the shooting death of Michael Brown, but it offers no new details.
The incident report, just over one page long, lists the basics of the investigation, such the address of the shooting (2947 Canfield Drive) and time the shooting occurred (12:02 p.m. on Aug. 9). It did not shed any light into the probe about what led to the shooting.
The report lists the offense being investigated as a homicide and Brown as the victim.
This story was originally published August 21, 2014 at 7:33 AM with the headline "Police evacuate pro-Wilson supporters in Ferguson."